How Does Your Center Answer 911?

Our standard answer is "(City Name) 911, what's the exact location of your emergency?" But most people don't respond with a location, they just say what's going on. So I suggested we change to "What is your emergency?" and then follow up with the location, but that didn't fly even though that's exactly how the flow is going on most calls anyway.

So how does your agency answer, and what's been your experience with callers' response to that?

We say "911". This identifies who we are and lets them begin speaking. I'll take control of the call when I need to based on what they say. I prefer this short and sweet method and its worked for over 10 years for us.

Getting location is always the priority.

Someone once told me that time is a predator that stalks us all our lives. But maybe time is also a companion who goes with us on our journey, and reminds us to cherish the moments of our lives because they will never come again.

I work for a federal agency. Here lies the problem. We take '911' type calls everyday. However, the number is NOT '911' and when our emergency number IS called, ALL emergency calls are received via a seperate telephone operator which is a telephone number operator. So, basically you call '911' and you get '411.' This is very problematic, as you can guess.

While we do lissen to all calls, we are not able to ask any questions as to the nature of the emergency until the non-emergency operator determind that the call is a law enforcement / fire / or emergency call for service [did i miss anything?]. At this point, 1min or so into the call, the call is then handed over to us to be handled. The caller is then forced [many times] to restate their emergency, location, etc., etc., etc... Why isn't a deadicated emergency line provided to the ONLY emergency dispatch center / operators for the three campuses which we service in three cities within three counties? When you get that answer, please let me know.

Many have tryed to get this 'FUBAR' situation changed, with NO LUCK! I would be more then happy to just say, '911, WHAT IS YOUR EMERGENCY?

In our area, it's just 911. They usually don't ask about the nature of the emergency, because if you need to get in touch with an Officer and especially after business hours, you have to go through 911. Anytime you need an officer for anything, emergency or not, you have to go through 911. While there is a "non emergency" number, I'm more apt to give that to people from out of the area who need to have things like check the welfares, etc done. That's because it doesn't show it came on a non emergency line, it just doesn't list your info.

WE SAY "SMITH COUNTY 911, IS YOUR EMERGENCY POLICE, FIRE OR AMBULANCE" BUT NO MATTER HOW MUCH U SAY THAT THEY SAY WELL I DONT NEED AND AMBULANCE I NEED THE POLICE. THEN WHEN U ASK PEOPLE FOR THERE ADDRESS THEY DONT KNOW IT I WOULD RATHER TALK TO A 10 YEAR OLD ANY DAY AT LEAST THEY KNOW HOW TO TALK ON 911.

We make it short and direct..."911...What is your location". For the most part we get the location, therefore if we are disconnected for whatever reason...we've got something to go on to get to them. Certainly, there are times when people dont answer that...but for the most part it works well for us.

9-1-1 What is your emergency. We are the primary answering point for our county so we want to know immediately if we need to route it to fire rescue, the Florida Hwy Patrol, or just continue to help the individuals.

"Howard County 911, where is your emergency?" Then try to get their phone number verified also. But as you said rarely is any call the same, and most times they do just start telling you what the problem is, or a bunch of yelling and screaming.

It depends on two things with me: The time of day, and the address that pops up on the screen.

If you catch me in a bad mood simple answer of *911* will do simply because if you have an emergency you should just spit it out instead of me wasting our time by asking a question that NOONE answers right off hand. If I'm in an okay mood *911* whats your emergency? is what I usually say. Sometimes if I'm workin on something else they simply get "Natchitoches Police Department". I love when I do that on accident because they're all like, uh, yea, I called *911*. (And actually they should of called the regular line)

Anyway, if a certain address pops up on the screen we usually know just what those people need. They either need to talk about Jesus or how their day went and so forth. If i'm having a bad day a simple reply of "Mr. (or Mrs.) Doe, do you need me to send (insert mental doctors name here) to check on you?" And they quickly respond with "NO MAM I'M TAKIN MY MEDS AND GOING TO BED NOW." and slam the phone down in a hurry. Other times, if its slow, we talk about Jesus for about 20mins and then they decide they are sleepy.

WOW, you have a poor attitude to be a 911 Operator... I mean, what you say when you answer a 911 call depends on your mood and the time of day?? That's outrageous, almost as outrageous as taking a 911 call for granted because of the address. I hope you never have to call 911 for any reason but if you do need to, I hope you get someone who isn't like you. Shame on you... oh yeah, and I hope they're not "workin on something else" when you call.

wow !!! For the 911 dispatcher to say it depends on her mood ..How she will answer the phone !! When you are a dispatcher you can't have a mood .. when a person calls 911 remeber no matther how large or small the problem is ( to them it is the worst thing in the world ) Trust me I have been a dispatcher for 18 years .. and I know that some calls are not a emergency ie when is the fireworks ?? how long till the construction is going to be done on the highway and other such matters .. but there is a way to handle that kind of call being rude to the caller will not change that they called 911 for something that is not a emergency .. just remember you wanted to be a 911 dispatcher noone has a gun to your head ...you are the voice on the other end of the phone the calm voice to assure that help is on the was .. I REMEMBER took a call one night from a child who was asking me if I wanted to go see a movie ?? well needless to say I talk to him for about 10 min after he asked me out on a date ( he was 14 ) and told me he saved his money from his paper route ( needless to say his step dad was beating his mom , and everytime he could hear the foot steps closer to him , he pretended to be talking to a friend .. After the 10 min he was able to ask for help and tell me what was going on there ..( IF I had a bad attitude or a mood and thought he was tying up my 911 line . maybe he and his mom wouldn't be alive .. dispatching is not for everyone .. maybe you need to rethink about what kind of job you really want ..

wow !!! For the 911 dispatcher to say it depends on her mood ..How she will answer the phone !! When you are a dispatcher you can't have a mood .. when a person calls 911 remeber no matther how large or small the problem is ( to them it is the worst thing in the world ) Trust me I have been a dispatcher for 18 years .. and I know that some calls are not a emergency ie when is the fireworks ?? how long till the construction is going to be done on the highway and other such matters .. but there is a way to handle that kind of call being rude to the caller will not change that they called 911 for something that is not a emergency .. just remember you wanted to be a 911 dispatcher noone has a gun to your head ...you are the voice on the other end of the phone the calm voice to assure that help is on the was .. I REMEMBER took a call one night from a child who was asking me if I wanted to go see a movie ?? well needless to say I talk to him for about 10 min after he asked me out on a date ( he was 14 ) and told me he saved his money from his paper route ( needless to say his step dad was beating his mom , and everytime he could hear the foot steps closer to him , he pretended to be talking to a friend .. After the 10 min he was able to ask for help and tell me what was going on there ..( IF I had a bad attitude or a mood and thought he was tying up my 911 line . maybe he and his mom wouldn't be alive .. dispatching is not for everyone .. maybe you need to rethink about what kind of job you really want ..

Our 911 currently is routed to us through the county we're in...therefore they've already gotten "911" so to speak; however, I still answer it Giddings Police Dept 911...

And I gotta say "WOW' on the depends on the mood as to what they get. You must really work at a very "understanding" dept. I've never worked anywhere that would have "tolerated" that sort of thing, nor would I have ever dreamed of doing such a thing.

I do not go where the path leads. I instead, create my own path...and leave a trail.

I work in a police department, not a center. There is one dispatcher per shift. 911 is routed through the 911 center and then on to us. When our 911 line rings. it is answered EastGreenwich Police Emergency line................ not always do I get our towns 911 calls. I get calls for the next town north and south (another waste of valuable minutes) and I have gotten calls from 911 for people looking for the police in East Providence. The 911 center here needs some serious retraining, but sometimes thats just how it goes!! I always answer the same way, no matter the mood or time of day. Now that's Im working graveyards, most of the 911 calls are almost legitimate.......

although my favorite 911 call was at my last dept, guy didnt know the number to the PD so he called 911 to find out what weekend the air show was..................

I sent a PM to donnamarie to ask why she hasn't responded to the comments about her post... I told her that I was "dying" to know but that I was glad I didn't live in her jurisdiction because if I had to call 911 I was afraid that she would answer... I'll wait and see what response I get and will happily post that...

Thats what I get for doing the "quick scroll" I just noticed the "depends on the mood" comment.

We have been known to shorten the greeting to just "911, where is your emergency" and drop the Craven County part if we are really busy (Like the small PD only wreck that generates a hundred 911 cell calls in two minutes) etc. but thats just for expediency. Not because of "the mood"....Shheeesh, mood. Not in my center!

No need for you to happily post something that I send to you, I'll post it myself. Evidently some of you read way to much into what I said, and for that I apologize. Everyone who is a dispatcher knows "how it gets". My words were wrong, and I admit that. Thats why I erased the whole post. No need to start slinging mud over a comment that was read into way to deeply. So...again..to all of you who were upset about my post I'm apologizing and hope that you forgive. Call *911*...i'll be more than happy to greet you with "911, Whats your emergency". Thank you and have a great night. (And by the way, just to defend myself...I LOVE my job. I don't need to rethink what I do. If you actually knew me you would know that. And since you don't I'm telling you. Dispatching is a great job and I LOVE every minute of it.)

Whatever, I think you wrote exactly how you felt and not one of us read 'way too much into' it... AND you are not suppose to delete threads so I'm glad that I quoted what you said because you can't delete that. No hard feelings but your apology is lacking sincerity and I just don't buy it...

We were trained to answer the 911 phone line "911 do you need police, fire, ambulance?" . If it was a medical/fire/EMS call the line was transfered to EMS, we were trained to stay on the line until the EMS dispatcher recieved all needed information. The most important call I ever recieved was not on the 911 line it came into the comm center on a regular non emergency line. Dispatchers have to always be on Q.

I agree with you. You busted her and she is now trying to backpedal. Kinda hard to read "more" into something that is in black and white. Good job PGPD911. Dispatcher attitudes like hers are why our profession ends up on CNN too much.

A woman is like a tea bag - You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.